![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/akchamel-caleb-karrenbrock.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAk’chamel the Giver of Illness, with video art by Branstetter.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAk’chamel the Giver of Illness, with video art by Branstetter.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Caleb Karrenbrock<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a sort of built-in rowdiness that comes with a packed concert: the thump of an angry drum beat and the swing of a guitar riff, showered by the yelping cries of a gyrating singer burning under a spotlight, all hitting at the same decibel. It\u2019s total sensory overload, and completely by design.<\/p>\n
But then there\u2019s the antithesis, and here, it\u2019s called Dallas Ambient Music Nights (DAMN).<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n Founded over ten years ago by Cody McPhail, the live audio and video anthology has paired local electronic musicians with visual artists across staple venues like The Prophet Bar, RBC, the Green Elephant and most notably, the Texas Theatre.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n McPhail\u2019s inaugural DAMN event took place in January 2015 at The Prophet Bar, featuring a small curated lineup made by McPhail himself.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tDallas, make your New Year\u2019s Resolution Count!\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re $13,000 away from our End-of-Year campaign goal, with just a five days left! We\u2019re ready to deliver \u2014 but we need the resources to do it right. If Dallas Observer matters to you, please contribute today to help us expand our current events coverage when it\u2019s needed most.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cIt went really well, it was kind of shocking,\u201d he said. \u201cI hadn\u2019t produced a show before, and for it to be 40 or 50 people there in a small club, it felt really special.\u201d<\/p>\n Years of obsessing over the experimental sounds of Brian Eno and the early Aphex Twin records were the precursor to McPhail finding his niche in live events. After the first show, it was clear he had to keep it going. Over 10 years later, DAMN is gearing up for its 50th formal event, set for the Texas Theatre on Dec. 27. The Oak Cliff artistic haven has served as the primary home for the series in recent years.\u00a0<\/p>\n For the 50th installment, McPhail has booked his biggest lineup yet, featuring seasoned DAMN veterans and others making their series debut. Polyphonic Spree violinist and experimental songwriter Leoncarlo Canlas is a standout on the musical lineup, as is local electro-punk outfit O-D-EX.\u00a0<\/p>\n Grace Sydney Pham is a DAMN rookie, performing under the moniker \u201cHexpartner,\u201d presenting a \u201cneoclassical electronic project inspired by medieval music.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cDAMN shatters expectations about what a typical city\u2019s electronic music scene can be,\u201d Pham said. \u201cIn most cities I\u2019ve visited or lived in, EDM, techno or house tend to completely dominate most electronic music spaces, while ambient music is relegated to DIY and experimental venues. I have never seen ambient music celebrated and brought to the forefront of electronic music the way DAMN does it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Texas Theatre stage is one befitting of an influential Dallas legacy, and Kent Evans knows all about that. He\u2019s performing on Saturday with a looping project called Heavy Refuge. The artist was part of Dallas\u2019 early electronic music scene, befriending Evans at live shows before the concept of DAMN was conceived. Being around to see the early formation of DAMN<\/a> and the subsequent 49 shows that followed ahead of Saturday\u2019s 50th, Evans spoke about the uniqueness of the series.<\/p>\n \u201cDAMN is so special, there\u2019s nothing quite like it in Dallas,\u201d he says. \u201cThe intersection of music and visual art here is a huge part of what makes the series special, but for me it\u2019s about how much these shows encourage you to slow down and just take it all in, to enjoy the company around you and be grateful for whatever you can be grateful for. I think at DAMN, I find it very easy to be hopeful. In today\u2019s climate, that means everything to me.\u201d<\/p>\n McPhail emphasized the importance of the DAMN mission as allowing oneself to slow down and appreciate one\u2019s surroundings.<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t rock and roll,\u201d McPhail says. \u201c\u2026 But just allow it to wash over you, makes you forget you\u2019re in a theater. That\u2019s the point of going to shows, to get to that point where I\u2019m closing my eyes and I forget I\u2019m even there. There\u2019s video art, so you shouldn\u2019t close your eyes for too long, but that combination creates this more meditative thing. It creates a vibe that\u2019s kinda like \u2018cool church.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n